Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for the Chronic Pain-depression Co-morbidity Among Older Black Adults in the Community; The Quiet Focus Open Pilot

August 16, 2026 updated by: Tony V. Pham, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

The goal of this clinical trial is to pilot an adaptation of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for chronic pain and depression. The main questions it aims to answer in a later fully powered randomized controlled trial are:

  • Is an adaptation of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for older Black adults able to improve quality of life?
  • Will an adapted mindfulness based cognitive therapy reduce pain interference to a greater degree than a traditional health enhancement program?

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Co-morbid chronic pain-depression is common among older Black adults and this co-morbidity worsens physical and emotional function. Access to evidence based non-pharmacological management is limited. Mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an evidence-based, non-pharmacological intervention that could address the chronic pain-depression co-morbidity among older Black adults, but it requires tailoring. The proposed study will establish the feasibility, acceptability and credibility of Quiet Focus, a cultural adaptation of MBCT aimed at the chronic pain-depression co-morbidity among older Black adults in the community.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
12

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02114
        • Massachusetts General Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Participant Inclusion Criteria

  1. Older adult (age ≥ 50)
  2. All individuals who identify with one or more nationalities or ethnic groups originating in any of the Black racial groups of Africa
  3. Pain in muscles, joints, bones, or associated soft tissues (NRS>4) lasting longer than 3 months
  4. Depressed (PHQ-9 score of 5-14)
  5. English fluency/literacy
  6. Ability and willingness to participate via in-person and video
  7. No change to type or dose of antidepressant medications for at least 6 weeks prior to screening
  8. Willing to provide informed consent and comply with all aspects of the protocol

Participant Exclusion Criteria

  1. Moderately severe or severe depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥ 15)
  2. Current substance abuse/dependence
  3. Significant cognitive impairment
  4. History of more than 8 sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy
  5. History of previous training in mindfulness or undergoing counseling more than once a month
  6. History of or current diagnosis of psychosis
  7. Active suicidal ideation (PHQ-9 item #9 or otherwise reported during screening) or self-harm within the past 90 days
  8. Current participation in another behavioral clinical trial

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
Behavioral: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
The delivered intervention is mindfulness-based cognitive therapy adapted for the chronic pain and depression among older Black adults. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is a structured psychotherapy that integrates mindfulness practices with cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. This adapted MBCT is delivered as an 8-week group-based program with each weekly session lasting about 1 hour. Sessions occur once per week, supplemented by daily home practice of 40-60 minutes, 6 days a week, involving guided meditations, body scans, and mindful activities to reinforce skills.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire
Time Frame: Administered at the end of treatment at 8 weeks.
The 3-item version of the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-3) is scored by summing responses from its three core items. It consists of empirically selected items measuring key aspects of service satisfaction, each rated on a 4-point Likert scale (1 = lowest satisfaction to 4 = highest, with directionality adjusted as needed). Total scores range from 3 to 12, with higher values indicating greater satisfaction; no reverse scoring or subscales are required.
Administered at the end of treatment at 8 weeks.
The Credibility and Expectancy Questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline (at enrollment, prior to intervention initiation).
The Credibility/Expectancy Questionnaire (CEQ) is a 6-item self-report measure assessing treatment credibility (items 1-3) and expectancy (items 4-6). Items 1-3 and 5 are rated 0 (not at all credible/logical) to 9 (extremely credible/logical), while items 4 and 6 are rated 0% to 100%; subscale scores are standardized and summed (credibility: 3-27 raw equivalent; expectancy similar), with total scores ranging 6-54 after standardization, where higher scores indicate greater credibility and positive outcome expectancy (better outcome).
Baseline (at enrollment, prior to intervention initiation).
Modified Patient Global Impression of Change
Time Frame: At end of 8 week program (post test) and again at 3 month follow up visit.
The Modified Patient Global Impression of Change (mPGIC) adapts the standard single-item Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC), a validated patient-reported outcome measure of overall perceived change since intervention, by assessing change across six specific domains. Each domain uses a single ordinal item rated on a 7-point scale, coded from 1 = Very Much Improved to 7 = Very Much Worse. Lower scores indicate greater perceived improvement. Domains include coping strategies, physical activity, social activity, level of stress, memory and thinking, and pain, and are analyzed separately.
At end of 8 week program (post test) and again at 3 month follow up visit.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Numerical Rating Scale
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks.
The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain intensity is an 11-point scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain), assessing average pain over the past week. Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity (worse outcome), lower scores less pain (better); single-item total score.
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks.
PROMIS Anxiety
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The PROMIS Short Form V1.0 - Emotional Distress Anxiety 8a (PROMIS Anxiety SF 8a v1.0) is an 8-item patient-reported outcome measure assessing self-reported anxiety symptoms over the past 7 days, including fear, nervousness, worry, dread, and feeling tense or restless. It uses a 5-point Likert response scale per item: Never (1), Rarely (2), Sometimes (3), Often (4), or Always (5). Raw total scores range from 8 (minimal anxiety, best outcome) to 40 (severe anxiety, worst outcome); these convert via scoring tables to T-scores (mean=50, SD=10 in U.S. population), where higher T-scores indicate greater anxiety severity. No subscales are computed; the total score reflects overall anxiety distress. T-score range: 28-82 for the 8a short form.
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
PROMIS Physical Function
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The PROMIS Short Form V2.0 - Physical Function 8B (PROMIS PF 8B v2.0) is an 8-item patient-reported outcome measure assessing self-reported capability in physical activities, including upper extremity function (e.g., hand/arm tasks), lower extremity function (e.g., walking), central body function, and daily activities. It uses a 5-point Likert response scale per item: Without any difficulty (5), With little difficulty (4), With some difficulty (3), With much difficulty (2), or Unable to do/Cannot do (1). Raw total scores range from 8 (severe difficulty, worst outcome) to 40 (no difficulty, best outcome); these convert via scoring tables to T-scores (mean=50, SD=10 in U.S. population), where higher T-scores indicate better physical function. No subscales are computed; the total score reflects overall physical function. The T-score range for the PROMIS SF V1.2 is 10-65.
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
PROMIS Depression
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The PROMIS Short Form V1.0 - Emotional Distress Depression 8b (PROMIS Depression SF 8b v1.0) is an 8-item patient-reported outcome measure assessing self-reported depressive symptoms over the past 7 days, including feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, sadness, failure, depression, unhappiness, and hopelessness. It uses a 5-point Likert response scale per item: Never (1), Rarely (2), Sometimes (3), Often (4), or Always (5). Raw total scores range from 8 (minimal depression, best outcome) to 40 (severe depression, worst outcome); these convert via scoring tables to T-scores (mean=50, SD=10 in U.S. population), where higher T-scores indicate greater depression severity. No subscales are computed; the total score reflects overall depressive distress. T-score range: 42-84.
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
PROMIS Emotional Support
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks.
The PROMIS Short Form V2.0 - Emotional Support 8a (PROMIS Emotional Support SF 8a v2.0) is an 8-item patient-reported outcome measure assessing perceived availability of supportive interpersonal relationships over the past 7 days, including listening, confiding, appreciation, understanding, and trust. It uses a 5-point Likert response scale per item: Never (1), Rarely (2), Sometimes (3), Often (4), or Always (5). Raw total scores range from 8 (minimal support, worst outcome) to 40 (strong support, best outcome); these convert via scoring tables to T-scores (mean=50, SD=10 in U.S. population), where higher T-scores indicate greater emotional support. No subscales are computed; the total score reflects overall perceived support. T-score range: 25-75 for the 8a short form.
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks.
Measure of Current Status Part A
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The Measure of Current Status Part A (MOCS-A) is a self-report questionnaire that measures ability to manage stress. The Measure of Current Status Part A (MOCS-A) comprises 13 items rated 0 (cannot do at all) to 4 (extremely well), summed for total score 0-52, with four subscales: relaxation, tension awareness, assertiveness, coping confidence (higher total/subscale scores indicate better stress management ability, better outcome). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale where 0 = "I cannot do this at all" and 4 = "I can do this extremely well," with higher scores reflecting greater confidence in coping skills.
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R) is a 12-item scale rated 1 (rarely/not at all) to 4 (almost always), total score summed 12-48 (higher scores indicate greater mindfulness ability, better outcome); unidimensional total score. Scoring: Items 2, 6, and 7 are reverse-scored. After appropriate reversals, sum values for items 1-12. Higher values reflect greater mindful qualities.
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ) sums 20 items rated 0 (never true) to 6 (always true) for total raw score 0-120, with two subscales: Activity Engagement (0-66) and Pain Willingness (0-54), both/totals higher indicating greater pain acceptance (better outcome).
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ) consists of 10 items rated 0 (not at all confident) to 6 (completely confident), summed for total 0-60. Higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy despite pain (better outcome); single total score.
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Pain Catastrophizing Scale
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) sums 13 items rated 0 (not at all) to 4 (all the time) for total 0-52, with subscales: Rumination (0-16), Magnification (0-12), Helplessness (0-24); higher scores indicate greater catastrophizing (worse outcome).
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale
Time Frame: From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks
The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-17) sums 17 items rated 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), with reverse on items 4, 8, 12, and 16. Total score range: 17-68 (higher scores greater kinesiophobia/fear of movement, worse outcome).
From enrollment to 3 months from the end of treatment at 8 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Massachusetts General Hospital

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Tony V Pham, MD, MScGH, Massachusetts General Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
November 15, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
July 22, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
July 22, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 10, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 19, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 16, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2024P001995
  • K23AT012363 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

All IPD collected throughout the trial.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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